I was just looking for some opinions on hooks. What you like or don't like and why.

HOLY S#IT IM NOT EVEN GONNA REPLY ANYMORE!
TYLER

if you do a search for hooks you find all sorts of opinions, and you won't have to listen to all the jacka$$es out there that think their to high and mighty to not give you a smarta$$ answer,some of us out here have not fished for steelhead as long as all you LEGENDS have and are just looking for a little advice.

im far from a legend but im 17 and i'll still outfish you! its just is annoying when one thread leaves the board and another comes. sorry if i offended anyone.
tyler

Geezus no legend here but it would seem that some one who's been on the board so long could do a search ? This issue has come up almost once a week forever...do a frickin search.
Don't appreciate my answer well please could I have a big frickin "Dead Horse" posted next? Tyler you answered appropiately in my book .

Gooose

my post was not directed at anyone in particular, but when someone doesn't know something about the sport we all love, it sucks to not get an honest answer, if it's a topic you think gets to much play you don't have to open the thread.

I fish Gamis, Owners and VMC just depends on what I am doing. I also just ordered some vision's looking forward to trying them out.
Best hooks thread

[ 01-13-2002: Message edited by: Firedog ]

HOOKS!! HOOKS!! Are we suppose to use hooks??? Maybe that's why I keep losing fish! And my eggs keep flying off also!

Hey man,
the four best choices for steelhead or salmon that I have found (assuming that's what you're fishing for)are as follows: Ranked in order...
1. Daiichi (amazing hook)
2. Gamikatsu (the popular choice, no need to re-sharpen every ten casts)
3. Vision (good bang for the buck)
4. Mustad (the old-timers favorite, need to sharpen when out of the box though)

Vision Hooks, of course.

www.visionhooksandtackle.com

type of hook makes no difference at all. if you used a dull bent hook on a good biter it will be in its stomach every time. a piece of barbed wire would do the trick. i've yet to hear of someone who is completely discusted because of a bad hook. personally if you are going to use lots of hooks, the cheaper the better, especially for winter steelhead. i use a 6/0 vmc for salmon and buy them in 1000 quantity for $70.00 lets say i used a gamakatsu at .25 a piece, thats alot of dough to break off on a snag or cut-off on a dark fish that swallowed it.

kevin,
I completely disagree. I've lost several fish due to dull hook points. I've also been fishing with several outstanding guides that ensure hooks are sharp before they even touch the water. Bass, crappie, bluegill, cuthroats etc. do engluf a hook and in the case of those fish, a duller hook works 90% of the time. However, steelhead and salmon, once in a river, very rarely will "swallow" the presentation. The bite is due solely to instinct or curiousity. It takes a sharp hook and a strong hookset to do the trick. I have caught hundreds of steelhead in the past 10 years and I've yet to land one that was hooked in the gut. QUALITY COUNTS. BELIEVE ME!

cutthroat,

maybe you hav'nt fished a lot for spring chinook. almost 95% of these river caught fish will swallow a good bait every time. i agree with you if you are drift of bobber fishing. this presentation is from the side and requires a sharp hook, but not an expensive hook. fish dont care if you use a nordstrom or Kmart hook for tackle. cheap hooks will file great.

The only steelhead I've ever hooked in the guts were taken on divers with shrimp trailers, using double hook setups.
I've never had one take a egg/bobber combo so deep that I couldn't get it out.
I always used VMC's or Mustads, sharpened til they jumped at you on their own accord. I *always* put pressure on the curve of the hook to open the bite up a bit. I never have cared for the tips of the hook to be incurved the way they are out of the box.
In the last several years ( and I haven't taken fishing anywhere near as serious as I used to ) I've been using Gamagatsus, like everyone else. I'd go back to my old Mustads without any qualms, though. It's just that now, my husband buys the hooks.
I don't think brand matters. I think >sharp< matters. As sharp as you can make 'em.
diana

Sorry for beating a dead horse but I'm new and haven't been on very much. I catch a lot of Steelies and Salmon and I already know what to use, in my opinion anyways. I just wanted to here some of your thoughts.

Sorry Parker but Vision hooks are the biggest pieces of [Bleeeeep!] on the market. Kevin why are you using 6/0 hooks for salmon, isn't that a little big? I use Daiichi's and VMC vanadium hooks and I don't think anyone can tell me those aren't some of the best hooks.

We all have a passion for fishing so why be a tight a** when it comes to our gear? Price doesn't matter when you've got a 20 pounder on so go buy a Loomis and some Daiichi's and enjoy yourself.
:p

ripalip,
i use a 6/0 hook because i use a big bait and i want a bit of hook to show after the bait is on.i do alot of bobber fishing for fall fish that are big and require big baits. big bait,big hook, big fish.
sharp hooks are great, but you dont need an expensive hook to make it sharp. not trying to make fuss about the whole thing i just personally
would'nt spend lots of money on hooks when you use so many of them.

Ripalip, I agree with some of what you said, don't skimp. But remember not everone is single and making over $30K a year. "Don't" skimp on hooks!!! You can get by with lower qualility line, rod, reel and swivels, but spend the money on your hooks. Remember guys, alot of these new members haven't caught 1 100th of the fish we have and they are just searching for knowledge. So, if you don't want to lend your advice to others "asking for it", don't answer the thread. There is no call to be rude.

G-man thanks for the input and for being respectable and not an a**hole.

I've used a 3/0 hook once for kings on the Hump and I got laughed @,= too big. I used to fish large hooks also but have found that a 1 or 2/0 is plenty of room for bait and hook reveal. A 6/0 hook will improve your chances of hooking a fish....IN THE DORSAL FIN.

All I have ever used are 1/0 and 2/0 and have never had problem.